Me: Good morning Lord. Thank you for walking with me this morning and for this new day. Help me to serve you Lord in all I do and to praise you with my whole heart. I love you Lord.
Lord: Good morning Martin. Thank you for joining us this morning and for your good company. Yes, I say good because we do enjoy your company, and our conversations with you, while we walk. We love you.
The word I gave you on your last Sunday at Stithians, I want to apply more generally today. When you left the parish I intended that word for the congregation gathered there. Today I want to speak it to a wider congregation.
Yesterday I spoke to you about reaching out to those who had forgotten their commitment to me, whose faith had become buried in decades of neglect. That is re-thinking, or re-imagining evangelism.
On 21st March 2010, I said through you, to the congregations of your three churches, at Stithians:
Put Jesus in the Centre.
Read the New Testament and reveal what it has to say about the Church Jesus built, and compare it with what we, man, has built.
The time has come when tinkering and re ordering is not enough. We have to re imagine, not using man-made structures as our template, but Jesus.
Imagine a church without buildings.
Imagine a church without clergy.
Imagine a church without liturgy.
Imagine a church run not by a PCC but by prayer!
These were not words to be brushed aside and forgotten, but were meant as a stimulus to get the churches moving towards the church I want. Only a few have taken it seriously, but are finding it hard to think big against the tide of institutional conservatism!
There are so many different ministries within my church which need to be opened up with new imaginings.
All forms of evangelism, and the use of all forms of media and communication. Being where the people are and being known there. Yes, even in the chat rooms, on facebook and all the other types of twitting and cheeping!
One of the things that really surprises souls on arrival in the Kingdom, is the variety of music. In Heaven we love music as a way of expressing ourselves, but it's not at all like church music! Oh, we have that as well, but the main expression of praise, gladness and joy, is much more up-beat and noisy! Much more foot tapping and hand-raising type music!
Art speaks to the heart as well, and is a powerful form of evangelism and teaching. Actions also speak louder than words, and one act of love in Jesus' name is more effective than a thousand sermons for bringing people into the Kingdom.
I want my Church to be full of joy and for their joy to be infectious. The world makes a big show of being jolly and happy, when underneath souls are crying in pain and loneliness. My joy, which the world cannot give is deep inside and permeates the whole being.
I want my Church to dare to believe My Word, the Bible. I gave it to you to be the central pillar of truth and teaching, but you have listened to the voice of the deceiver and, without realising it, have come to believe that there is no truth in it. The Bible stands as truth. It is the only rock in your age that does not shift. Jesus is my Word, The Bible is all about him from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation.
Bring Him back into the centre, where he belongs, and turn your eyes upon Him. As you gaze at Jesus you will see what I see, a hungry world of hurting men and women who need me. You will not see one single spire or roof fund. You won't see one single PCC meeting, synod or assembly of deacons; you will see a harvest field ripe and ready for the reapers. As you look for evangelists and pastors you will not find the big names. What you will see is a fellowship of believers, where all are evangelists and all are pastors to each other, where the sick are prayed for together and where my Holy Spirit flows.
Pray for the traditional pastors and evangelists, that they will also catch the vision of shared mission and shared ministry. I want you and them to live Jesus every moment of every day. I want you to be Jesus in the home, in the workplace, in the schools and universities, in government and all the armed and civilian services. I want Jesus in the banks and in the stock exchange, so that I can rebuild and recreate your society to be just, fair, prosperous and Jesus centred.
You may initially say this all seems like pie in the sky. But the world, mankind will not see the difference Jesus can make unless YOU, who are Jesus in the world, are where the changes need to be. Unless you are there to show the way and speak My Word.
Stretch your imagination and think My thoughts. Re-imagine what it means to be a Christian. Put Jesus back where He belongs, in the centre.
Remember, there is not a place on earth, not a single person, not a trade or industry, not a colour or a creed, where I do not want to be. All the earth is mine and I want it back, because I love the lost and I feel the hurts of the damaged and the pain of the lonely. Help them to reach out and touch me, that I may heal your land and build My Kingdom.
Lord: Good morning Martin. Thank you for joining us this morning and for your good company. Yes, I say good because we do enjoy your company, and our conversations with you, while we walk. We love you.
The word I gave you on your last Sunday at Stithians, I want to apply more generally today. When you left the parish I intended that word for the congregation gathered there. Today I want to speak it to a wider congregation.
Yesterday I spoke to you about reaching out to those who had forgotten their commitment to me, whose faith had become buried in decades of neglect. That is re-thinking, or re-imagining evangelism.
On 21st March 2010, I said through you, to the congregations of your three churches, at Stithians:
Put Jesus in the Centre.
Read the New Testament and reveal what it has to say about the Church Jesus built, and compare it with what we, man, has built.
The time has come when tinkering and re ordering is not enough. We have to re imagine, not using man-made structures as our template, but Jesus.
Imagine a church without buildings.
Imagine a church without clergy.
Imagine a church without liturgy.
Imagine a church run not by a PCC but by prayer!
These were not words to be brushed aside and forgotten, but were meant as a stimulus to get the churches moving towards the church I want. Only a few have taken it seriously, but are finding it hard to think big against the tide of institutional conservatism!
There are so many different ministries within my church which need to be opened up with new imaginings.
All forms of evangelism, and the use of all forms of media and communication. Being where the people are and being known there. Yes, even in the chat rooms, on facebook and all the other types of twitting and cheeping!
One of the things that really surprises souls on arrival in the Kingdom, is the variety of music. In Heaven we love music as a way of expressing ourselves, but it's not at all like church music! Oh, we have that as well, but the main expression of praise, gladness and joy, is much more up-beat and noisy! Much more foot tapping and hand-raising type music!
Art speaks to the heart as well, and is a powerful form of evangelism and teaching. Actions also speak louder than words, and one act of love in Jesus' name is more effective than a thousand sermons for bringing people into the Kingdom.
I want my Church to be full of joy and for their joy to be infectious. The world makes a big show of being jolly and happy, when underneath souls are crying in pain and loneliness. My joy, which the world cannot give is deep inside and permeates the whole being.
I want my Church to dare to believe My Word, the Bible. I gave it to you to be the central pillar of truth and teaching, but you have listened to the voice of the deceiver and, without realising it, have come to believe that there is no truth in it. The Bible stands as truth. It is the only rock in your age that does not shift. Jesus is my Word, The Bible is all about him from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation.
Bring Him back into the centre, where he belongs, and turn your eyes upon Him. As you gaze at Jesus you will see what I see, a hungry world of hurting men and women who need me. You will not see one single spire or roof fund. You won't see one single PCC meeting, synod or assembly of deacons; you will see a harvest field ripe and ready for the reapers. As you look for evangelists and pastors you will not find the big names. What you will see is a fellowship of believers, where all are evangelists and all are pastors to each other, where the sick are prayed for together and where my Holy Spirit flows.
Pray for the traditional pastors and evangelists, that they will also catch the vision of shared mission and shared ministry. I want you and them to live Jesus every moment of every day. I want you to be Jesus in the home, in the workplace, in the schools and universities, in government and all the armed and civilian services. I want Jesus in the banks and in the stock exchange, so that I can rebuild and recreate your society to be just, fair, prosperous and Jesus centred.
You may initially say this all seems like pie in the sky. But the world, mankind will not see the difference Jesus can make unless YOU, who are Jesus in the world, are where the changes need to be. Unless you are there to show the way and speak My Word.
Stretch your imagination and think My thoughts. Re-imagine what it means to be a Christian. Put Jesus back where He belongs, in the centre.
Remember, there is not a place on earth, not a single person, not a trade or industry, not a colour or a creed, where I do not want to be. All the earth is mine and I want it back, because I love the lost and I feel the hurts of the damaged and the pain of the lonely. Help them to reach out and touch me, that I may heal your land and build My Kingdom.
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